Job losses were heavy during the pandemic, but many areas are recovering

In the height of the pandemic, the unemployment rate soared to an astronomical 14.7% — a rate more than 11% higher than in the same month of 2019.

However, since then the job market has been steadily creeping toward recovery. Each month has reported more jobs than the last and even the hardest-hit sectors are finally finding some breathing room. This list is comprised of industries and the jobs they added in August. See which industries are bouncing back the quickest and adding thousands of jobs to the American economy.

Wholesale trade

Jobs added in August: 13,500

Wholesale trade is the sale of goods and merchandise to retailers. It’s a key part of the consumer economy, so the fact that jobs are being added in this sector is a good indicator that the economy is recovering.

Information

Jobs added in August: 15,000

The information industry is comprised of jobs like data collection, authoring and publishing, among others. Essentially, any company working to produce, process or distribute information falls within this category.

Construction

Jobs added in August: 16,000

Even as some sectors of the economy have slowed, housing and business infrastructure are still being built across the U.S.

Manufacturing

Jobs added in August: 29,000

Certain jobs in the manufacturing field may have been lost toward the beginning of the pandemic when consumers directed most of their funds into essential items and little else. However, a job increase here signifies that consumer demand is quickly rising again.

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Financial activities

Jobs added in August: 36,000

The financial activities sector is another one adding thousands of new jobs. This industry encompasses finance, insurance, real estate and rental/leasing.

Transportation and warehousing

Jobs added in August: 78,100

Transportation has been a strong and essential industry throughout the pandemic, with more and more people relying on transportation workers for essential goods.

Healthcare and social assistance

Jobs added in August: 90,100

The coronavirus pandemic has directly informed the growth of the healthcare industry, with hospitals competing for nurses as beds fill up.

Leisure and hospitality

Jobs added in August: 174,000

The leisure and hospitality industry was hit hard by COVID-19 — with event planning, lodging and entertainment all dead in the water. However, as the economy starts to open back up there will be a lot of empty shoes to fill in this sector.

Professional and business services

Jobs added in August: 197,000

Nearly 200,000 jobs were added in a single month in this sector, which includes occupations such as engineering, consulting and law.

Retail trade

Jobs added in August: 248,900

This increase almost certainly came from stores across the U.S. being allowed to reopen and rehire their employees, with consumers regaining some of their appetite for in-person shopping.

Government

Jobs added in August: 344,000

By far the most jobs added in August were in government. In particular, the federal government was focused on hiring temporary 2020 Census workers — 238,000 of whom were brought on.

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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: The 11 industries doing the most hiring right now